Discrete dipole approximation

The discrete dipole approximation (DDA), also known as the coupled dipole approximation, is a numerical method for computing the scattering and absorption of electromagnetic radiation by particles of arbitrary shape and composition. The method represents a continuum target as a finite array of small, polarizable dipoles, and solves for their interactions with the incident field and with each other. DDA can handle targets with inhomogeneous composition and anisotropic material properties, as well as periodic structures. It is widely applied in fields such as nanophotonics, radar scattering, aerosol physics, biomedical optics, and astrophysics.

Magnitude of the electric field strength (colored) and the Poynting vector (black arrows) in the near field of the vertically oriented dipole in the image plane. Blue/red colors indicate an electric field oriented downwards/upwards.
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